Q. I am 51, and I have a problem with keeping an erection for more then 10 minutes. I think it is a blood circulation problem, because my feet always feel cold and my balls feel cool to the touch. If only I could stay erect for another 10 minutes I would be satisfied. My doctor gave me a prescription for Viagra. He says I don’t need to use the whole pill, but to cut it in half and see how that works. What would it do if I cut it in quarters? Would that help me out for another 10 minutes? I don’t want to take the whole pill because I’m afraid of side effects.
A. At 51 years old, a 10-minute erection is excellent. In fact, studies have shown that most men ejaculate within 90 seconds of penetration.
I don’t think that you have a circulation problem, since most men with atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) don’t get any erection at all. Furthermore, cold feet and testicles are not signs of a circulation problem. Instead, circulation problems usually first appear as pain in the calves or buttocks when walking.
Nonetheless, Viagra is a common and safe way to increase rigidity and blood flow into the penis. The medication works by relaxing the arteries in the penis to increase the blood flow and in turn strengthen the erection. The standard dosages are 25mg, 50mg and 100mg. Many doctors will prescribe the maximum dose of 100 mg and instruct the patient to break the pill in half. The logic is that all doses are the same price, so by breaking a pill in half you get twice the uses for the same price. In my practice, I only prescribe 100mg, since very few patients respond to the lower dosages.